THE VA'AD E-NEWSLETTER SHABBAT PARASHAT TERUMAH ~ 6 ADAR 5767 – FEBRUARY 23/24, 2007 THE SEWARD PARK ERUV IS UP! (206-725-ERUV) (Please see below for Kashrut Alerts, Community Announcements, and 2 messages from Al Maimon.) Congregation Friday, February Shabbat, February 24 (Click on the shul name to go to its website.) Bikur Cholim- Machzikay
Eastside Torah Center/Beis Menachem Ezra Bessaroth Sephardic Bikur Shaarei Tefilah- Lubavitch Shevet Achim For Kline Galland times, please see http://zekainim.tripod.com *KASHRUT ALERTS* Local: § A reminder that the following four restaurants are considered DAIRY (Chalav Stam) and that any food that you take home should be considered DAIRY: Pabla-Renton, Pabla-Issaquah, Mysore Masala (Namasthe), and Bamboo Garden. § Due to production issues, the Va’ad no longer certifies the Potato Bread from Essential Baking Co., even if it has the Va’ad logo printed on the bag. If you have any questions about the prior or future use of this bread, please contact your rabbi. All other Essential Baking Co. breads with a Va’ad logo on it are recommended, but not Pat Yisroel. § An updated kosher liquor list has been posted on the Va’ad website. § At this time the Va’ad does not recommend using tomato products with a KSA symbol. The exception at this point is Muir Glen Organic tomato products in metal cans (not glass jars).
§ Tully's Coffee Bellaccino bottled coffee drinks have an unauthorized Seattle Vaad logo ( ) on the cardboard box. The bottles have a plain KD on them. None of these products are under the supervision of the Seattle Va’ad. This product is sold in WA, OR, ID, MT, AK, & CA. The Seattle Va’ad does supervise Tully's roasted, unflavored coffee beans, whole and ground. The organization providing the plain KD on the Tully’s bottled Bellaccinos is not recommended. Note: Starbucks bottled Frappachinos bear an acceptable KD because that kashrut organization is recommended.
§ At Albertson’s on Mercer Island, the Toufayan Croissants with a Tablet-K, the Joyva Jelly Rings, and the Sicor wine are not recommended. In general, all Albertson’s products should be checked for a reliable hechsher, even if they are located near other kosher products.
§ The Seattle Va’ad website http://www.seattlevaad.org/KosherSymbols.html contains a current list of recommended, reliable hechsherim that are commonly encountered. If you have any questions about a hechsher, either on the list or not, please contact the Va’ad at 206-760-0805 or through vaadinfo@seattlevaad.org. Note: some hechsherim are recommended only for certain products, so please mention the product when you contact the Va’ad with your question.
National:
§ The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to eat certain jars of Peter Pan peanut butter or Great Value peanut butter due to risk of contamination with Salmonella Tennessee (a bacterium that causes food borne illness). The affected jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter have a product code located on the lid of the jar that begins with the number "2111." More info
§ Butter needs a hechsher. There are additives used in making butter (even when not listed on the ingredient list) that can be problematic, as well as various sources of cream that can be of questionable kosher status. Using butter with a hechsher insures that you are using kosher product. Please contact the Va’ad office if you would like further clarification. § From the cRc: Several cities around the United States have a TCBY yogurt store, selling soft serve yogurt and other products. None of these stores were ever under the certification of the cRc, but for a period of time, the yogurt base was under the supervision of the cRc. However, while the stores are still in operation, the manufacturer of that product is no longer in business. Some stores are using a yogurt base under various other supervisions, but none are presently certified by the cRc. It is the responsibility of the individual consumer to inspect the kosher status of this and other products before each purchase.
§ Hunt's Thick & Rich Premium Pasta Sauce Four Cheese was erroneously labeled with the OK symbol. The product is NOT certified by the OK and is NOT kosher
§ From the OU: Due to an error, the OU symbol was omitted from following the following Chocolate Liqueurs: Godiva Chocolate Cream Liqueur, White Chocolate Cream Liqueur and Cappuccino Liqueur are Kosher and Dairy; Godiva Chocolate Liqueur is Kosher and Parve. These products continue to be kosher certified, even without the hechsher.
§ From the OU: 365 Organic Organic 5 Grain Cereal with Soy at Whole Foods Market contains dairy ingredients as listed on the ingredient panel, but the dairy designation has been inadvertently omitted. Future packaging will be revised. § There is another hechsher that looks similar to the Seattle Va’ad logo. It looks like a torch and
It has been seen on Amy’s Kitchen products. This is not a
recommended kosher symbol. § Small worms have been found in dry barley bags. It is recommended that prior to use one looks over the dry barley. § You can find a list of recent kashrut alerts at http://www.kosherquest.org or www.kashrut.com. As always, please consult with your rabbi or the Va’ad if you have any questions about specifics.
Passover:
Preparing for Pesach There is a Ladino song that begins like this: “Purim, Purim lanu, Pesach en la mano(u)…”, which, roughly translated means“ as Purim approaches, our thoughts and actions turn to Pesach…”. We certainly see signs of Pesach beginning to appear all around, in the grocery stores, in our household cleaning and in our clothes shopping. Certainly Purim is coming and we want to celebrate and enjoy it to the fullest, and, Pesach looms high on the horizon… Actually, many people have been preparing for Pesach for quite some time. We’re beginning to see the special food aisles and order forms that reflect this effort. At the Va’ad, we continue to work with retailers and suppliers to offer the best selection of kosher food and related service. We are entering the phase of sharing with the kosher consumer, the most current and accurate information to help with shopping for Pesach. We will use the e-newsletter and the website on an ongoing basis from now through Pesach to help accomplish this, we will also use other means, as appropriate. The annual Pesach Guide will be available on paper around Purim to accommodate the fact that most lists of current Pesach foods only come out around Purim time. – Al Maimon § The Va’ad is seeking high school students to hire for Passover kashering jobs during the 2nd half of March. Please contact Elise at 206-760-0805 or vaadinfo@seattlevaad.org. § Albertson’s, Leah’s Catering, Nosh Away, and Dressel Collins are now taking Passover orders. Click here.
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS (Please see below for a message from Al Maimon concerning Meshulachim)
The Vaad issued 1 certificate to a Meshulach this week. The previous week, we issued 4 certificates. Mysore Masala (formerly called Namasthe) is now open with a new menu, featuring South Indian cuisine, produced by an experienced chef with twenty years of cooking, including a variety of exclusive hotels. Some of the unique items on the current menu include a variety of "Indian pancakes" and breads. The restaurant hours now include service throughout the day. The
management is pleased to offer a 10% discount on weekdays to those patrons who mention the Va’ad -- please do so at the time of ordering -- from now through the end of March. The restaurant is located at 16650 Redmond Way, and can be reached by telephone at 425-558-7858 or by fax at 425-558-7907. Have your new clothes checked for Shaatnez. The deadline for Shaatnez inspections is 3/14. Call Rabbi Tatel at 206-722-1464 orno.shaatnez@Yahoo.com to arrange for an appointment. More info “Café Simcha” Community Purim Seuda, March 4, 5 pm at CSTL. More info BCMH Free Purim Party, March 3, 7 pm. More info Ezra Bessaroth Purim Bazaar, 2/25 More info
N’Shei Chabad presents Kineret in concert, 2/25, 7 pm, at MOHAI. More info “The Ashley Case: A Halachic View”, by Rabbi Kletenik, 2/24, 7:30 pm, BCMH. More info Chabad-Lubavitch teaches classes for all ages and levels. More info The Seattle Kollel teaches classes for all levels and ages. More Info
Sign up for Jewish Unity Live Learning and the Gala Celebration on March 14thMore info Meshulachim Continued…The phenomenon of increased frequency of meshulachim in our community and how we collectively absorb that demand in a way that is mutually satisfactory and in best fulfillment of the individual and communal mitzvoth continues. In the next few months (Purim, pre and post Pesach), it’s likely that the presence of meshulachim in town will increase and this is certainly not the last time we’ll be working on and writing on this matter.The purpose of this note is to inform you of certain changes (improvements, we hope) that are being made to parts of this interaction and to request your continued positive participation.1-we have changed the timing and process of a meshulach receiving a certificate to level load the number of visitors (sensitive to their constraints to visit us as part of a larger itinerary) - we’re increasing the checking being done to further minimize the probability of fraud, misrepresentation, we’re requiring they make housing arrangements before coming to town, we encourage coming at the beginning of the week and not over Shabbat, we’re helping those who need to “tell their story” more clearly in English, we’re reasserting the requirement that unless there’s a written exception, each person is authorized to solicit only for one cause, we’re being more emphatic in the “etiquette” of their type of solicitation in our community2-we have reaffirmed our preference for an hourly (not commission) rate of pay for the driver and when making an exception for a commission arrangement, at the request of the meshulach, they now must once again, get prior approval, with the understanding that the request is theirs (this is apparently the norm nationwide), that they will not accept “two checks” to get around their arrangement and other conditions3-as for the etiquette on our side, the following was sent as this person’s example of how to best fulfill the mitzvoth surrounding these visits (I would only add that, a) as donors, the amount we give to each person can vary, even significantly, to reflect our personal priorities/ preferences for different causes and b) please don’t do anything to undermine the fundamental interpersonal encounter or to be complicit in inappropriate actions - like writing two checks to “get around” a compensation arrangement they asked for):2.offer them a glass of water 3.allow then to sit down 4.be grateful for the opportunity to help a person in need 5.give the person the benefit of the doubt that they are collecting for a valid need 6.Put yourself in their shoes to imagine what it is like to travel to a strange city and go door to door collecting 7.These people are our guests. Treat them like guests, not annoyances. Finally, I would say that this phenomenon is far from “routine” or being stabilized, we are committed to continue to improve the process, and we ask for your continued thoughtful and constructive input (including reporting instances of inappropriate behavior so we can make note and try to stop it in the future).Tizku LeMitzvot, may we all be blessed with health, success, nachat and many years to live our communal, family and individual lives in the best way following the Torah in the richness and fullness of our respective traditions together.Thanks, Al Maimon
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THE VA'AD E-NEWSLETTER 
§ From the OU: 365 Organic Organic 5 Grain Cereal with Soy at Whole Foods Market contains 
management is pleased to offer a 10% discount on weekdays to those patrons who mention the 
2. offer them a glass of water
3. allow then to sit down
4. be grateful for the opportunity to help a person in need
5. give the person the benefit of the doubt that they are collecting for a valid need
6. Put yourself in their shoes to imagine what it is like to travel to a strange city and go door to door collecting
7. These people are our guests. Treat them like guests, not annoyances.
Finally, I would say that this phenomenon is far from “routine” or being stabilized, we are committed to continue to improve the process, and we ask for your continued thoughtful and constructive input (including reporting instances of inappropriate behavior so we can make note and try to stop it in the future). Tizku LeMitzvot, may we all be blessed with health, success, nachat and many years to live our communal, family and individual lives in the best way following the Torah in the richness and fullness of our respective traditions together. Thanks, Al Maimon
If you would like for this email to be taken off the Va’ad list, or have received multiple copies of this message at this email address, or would like to receive this newsletter at a different email address, please respond with the details to vaadinfo@seattlevaad.org and we will be happy to make the appropriate changes. Feel free to pass this email on to anyone who might be interested.
Va'ad HaRabanim of Greater Seattle